The present invention relates to sealed bearings in general, and more particularly to hermetically sealed vibration dampening, low load and high load absorbing, knuckle or swivel joints of the ball and socket type.
Knuckle or swivel joints of the ball and socket type are of general use in motor vehicle steering tie rod assemblies, in drag links, torque rods, suspension stabilizers, shock absorbers and friction snubbers, for example. In heavy trucks, in military vehicles, in off-highway vehicles and in railroad vehicles, knuckle or swivel joints are required to accomplish their function under adverse ambient conditions with a long service life, with a minimum of maintenance or replacement, and they are often subjected to intense vibrations and excessive load forces in all directions.
The present invention provides ball and socket joints in the forme of integrally sealed units lubricated for life that are particularly well adapted to applications under demanding conditions, which present the advantages of dampening vibration between interconnected members, provide substantially resilient connections between interconnected members during low load carrying, which have solid non-resilient but non-rattling high load carrying capability and compensation for wear. In addition, the present invention provides knuckle or swivel joints that are easy to manufacture and that accept wide manufacturing tolerances and eliminate bearing lock-up during assembly.
The many objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best modes contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like or equivalent parts, and in which: